Kornacki: Ryan Glasgow Defies Odds to Earn Scholarship
9/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 1, 2015
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan starting nose tackle Ryan Glasgow has defied the odds.
He walked on at Michigan rather than accept a scholarship from a small Division I school such as Wyoming. Glasgow was a two-star recruit at Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois, and didn't appear on the radar for college football's major powers.
But he decided to follow his older brother, Wolverine starting center Graham Glasgow, to Michigan and chase the same dream. Graham, a fifth-year senior, earned a scholarship two years ago.
Ryan started 11 games in 2014, his third year on campus, and got a phone call from Mike DeBord after the season that rewarded his persistence. DeBord, the offensive coordinator under Lloyd Carr who recently took that same position at Tennessee, was an athletic department administrator overseeing the transition to new Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
"I got a scholarship last winter," said Glasgow, the relief still evident in the expression on his face while retelling the story. "Mike DeBord gave it to me before he went to Tennessee. He said, 'Ryan, you are getting a scholarship. You might want to go over to (the) compliance (office) and sign some papers.'
"It means a lot. It's validation for all the hard work you put in. And now my parents don't have to pay for it -- which is awesome. Obviously, out-of-state tuition at this university is pretty high."
The Glasgow brothers finally get to line up against somebody other than one another on Thursday night (Sept. 3), when the Wolverines open the season at Utah. They go helmet-to-helmet when Michigan's first-team offense and defense scrimmage or run practice drills.
"We'll look up during practice and they'll be going at each other every play," said Wolverine co-captain Joe Bolden. "They're playing football, and they're both good at it. It's something to see."
Ryan is 6-4, 300 pounds. Graham is 6-6, 301 pounds. The power and size they pack into their confrontations has become legendary among teammates.
"It's gotten a lot more professional as the years have gone on," said Ryan Glasgow, who turns 22 on Sept. 30. "Before, it was real personal, like if I got the best of him there was a lot of rubbing it in his face. Or, it was feeling pretty (honked) off that you got your ass beat by your brother that day.
"But it's gotten real professional, and more to football as we've gotten older. You look at it like, 'That's not going to happen again in practice.' It's like you beat me on that play, but I'm going to come back at you. But it's pretty cool going against my brother each day, and making each other better."
What does each of them do best?
"He's real tough." Ryan said of Graham. "He's a real wide-bodied guy with real long arms. It's tough to get into his body -- especially because I'm kind of a stubby guy with shorter arms.
"I play pretty low, and he's a taller guy. So, sometimes I get under him. But he never stops running his feet and plays really tough."
Ryan, who has gained 25 pounds since coming to Michigan, then addressed his strengths.
"Effort is my best attribute," he said. "I play hard. I might now play with the best technique, but I'm going to try to. But I'm going to play with low pads and effort every play."
Ryan Glasgow is being coached this year by Greg Mattison, the defensive coordinator last season, and feels his technique is improved.
"Coach Mattison has helped me with my technique a lot," said Glasgow. "Also, Coach (Will) Carr has helped me, Mo (Maurice Hurst) and Brady Pallante a lot with technique. Our effort has always been there, but we haven't been the sharpest technique-wise. But that's gotten a lot better since last season."
Carr, an All-America nose tackle for the Wolverines in 1996, is a student assistant coach who is sharing the nuances of the position with players.
"Coach Mattison doesn't coach any two players the same way," said Glasgow, who also occasionally steps over to play defensive end. "He knows how to push the right buttons, and he has really constructive criticism."
Glasgow made 22 tackles last year at a position where keeping blockers from reaching the linebackers is central to success.
"Ryan's awesome," said Wolverine linebacker Bolden. "It's always great to see a guy up the middle who keeps linemen off of you, and lets you run free to roam sideline to sideline."
Michigan's players have gone "non-stop" at practice, meetings, film study and conditioning since drills began Aug. 7.
"It's been great," Ryan Glasgow said last week. "We're getting a lot better as a team and really paying in forward for the season. This has been one of the tougher camps I've been a part of. It's been non-stop football, meetings, working on technique, and just getting mentally tougher for the season.
"It's been real physical along the lines. We've got two coaches who really like to hit (in Mattison and offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Tim Drevno). With Coach Drevno on the offensive line, it's going to be real tough this year. And on the defensive line, we've had a lot of guys step up and play real hard. It's been real hard-hitting."
Now they get to line up against the Utes, who went 9-4 last season and claimed a 26-10 victory in Ann Arbor.
"Utah is a great team," said Ryan Glasgow. "They beat us last year, and are pretty solid up front. They have a very formidable offense, and we've worked every day to simulate it, keep up with them, and go up to Utah and get a win."
